Method of and apparatus for distilling oil.



J. T. DAVIS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING OIL.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 22. I913.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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WITNESSES v UNITED STATES PATENT enrich.

JOHN T. DAVIS; OF ALANIEDA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOIB. TO FRANK W. CLAYTON, OF

SAN'FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

- METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING- OIL.

To all whom it may concern:

' zen of the United States, residing at "Alameda, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Distilling Oil, of which the following is a specification. A

' The object ofthe present invention is to provide an improved process of, and apparatus for, the fractional distillation of oil, and especially of crude petroleum.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of my improved apparatus Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailhorizontal sectional view; Fig. 3 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates an.

oil-burning furnace having an outlet flue 2, and a top 3 and bottom 4 both sloping upwardly in the direction of the flow of the' products of combustion. Outside the furnace, are a series of single acting oil pumps 7, each operated by a reciprocating steam engine 8, and extending transversely in the furnace, and close to the top thereof, are a corresponding series of steam drums 9, closed at'the' ends, each drum being equipped with inlet and outlet steam pipes 11,12. In each drum is a coil of oil pipe 13. One end of each coil is connected by a pipe 14 with the pump chamber of the corresponding pump andthe other end of the first coil 13 by a pipe 10 leading from a. source of supply of oil, and each of the other coils 13, by a pipe 16, extending through a sand bath 17, with the lower end of the sloping floor 18 of a corresponding one of a series of evaporating chambers 19, which floors rest upon the sand bath 17, which is itself supported upon the sloping top of the furnace. An outlet oil pipe 21 leads from each pumping chamber of the pump and connects with a transverse horizontal pipe 22, which is formed with perforations 23 opposite, and in close proximity, to a wall or abutment 24 of the evaporating chamber 19. Each evaporating. chamber is connected by an outlet 26 with an individual condenser, not shown.

It is evidently immaterial whether the coil 13 of pipe be interposed between the pump and the pipe 16 for conducting oil from the evaporating chamber or between Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

1 Application filed July 22. 1913. Serial No. 780,473.

the pump and the pipe 21 for conducting oil thereto.

The operation is as follows: The oil is drawn by the -.first pump of the series through the first coil 13, which is heated by the steam in the first steam drum 9 to a temperature of about 250- F. and is then forced by said pump into the first transverse pipe 22 and projected therefrom with great force through the small holes 23 against the wall 24 of the first evaporating chamber, which thus forms an abutment. It is found that the great reduction of pressure which the ate evaporation of the lighter distillate, the

heavier distillate falling to the bottom of the evaporating chamber and the lighter passing upward and out through the outlet 26 to the condenser. The heavier portions flow down over the heated plate 18 heated by the sand bath, vapors continuing to be given off therefrom, which can be produced at the temperature of the sand bath. The vapors thus produced; from oil heated to a temperature of 250 F.. will give, when condensed, a gasolene of gravity. The operation is now repeated, andthe oil is raised in a succeeding coil 13 to a greater temperature, say 275 F; and is pumped by th second'pump of the series into the second evap- The oil then heated in the next coil 13 of pipe at a temperature of300 F. and evaporated in like manner will give a distillate of from 58 to 60 gravity. A repetition of this heating and evaporating-process from 300 F. to 400 F. in steps of 25 of temj perature will give corresponding degrees of heavier distillate, finally producing a distillate of gravity of 16 Baum.

By this mode of treatment, no carbonizing effect will be produced upon the oil dueto excessive temperature, such as always occurs when oil is allowed to come in contact with metal heated directly by the products of combustion. In my improved process and apparatus the oil is never allowed to come in contact with such metal. It is heated only by steam and a sand bath the temperaof combustion, it is not possible to maintain.

the temperature uniform, or to prevent it occasionally becoming excessiva. it has been found by experience that contact of oil with a heated iron surface materially above a temperature of 400 F. changes the natural molecular association of the oil, and produces other compounds of inferior quality. The distillates produced by my improved process and apparatus are perfectly clear and colonless. and do not require the subsequent treats ment with sulfuric acid which is usually ap plied to distillates to remove the impurities therefrom.

I. claim 1. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of an evaporating chamber,arranged to be connected to a condenser, and having an abutment and a slop ing bottom, a sand bath immediately be neath said bottom, an oil pipe in said cham= ber having a minute discharge aperture op-' posite to said abutment, means for forcing oil from said pipe through said aperture againstlsaidabutment, a coil of pipe connected to said means, a steam chamber around said coil, means for introducing steam into and exhausting it from said chamber, and means for heating said sand bath. j I

2.111 an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of a series of evaporating chambers, arranged to beconnected. to individual condensers, each having an abutment and a sloping bottom, a sand bath immediately beneath each bottom, an oil pipe in each chamber having minute discharge apertures opposite to said abutment,

individual means for forcing oil from said pipe through said apertures against said abutment, a coil of pipe connected to each of said means, an individual steam chamber around each of said coils, means for introducing steam into and exhausting it from said-chamber, and means for heating said sand baths,

3. In an apparatus of thecharacter described, the combination. of a series of evaporating chambers, arranged to be connected to individual condensers, each. having an abutment and a sloping bottom, a sand bath immediately beneath each bottom, an oil pipe in each chamber having minute apertures therein oppositeto said abutment, a coil of pipe connected to each ofsaid means, an individual steam chamber around each of said coils, a conduit leading from the sloping bottom of each chamber and connecting with the corresponding coil of pipe, means assume for forcing oil through said apertures against said abutment, means for introducing steam into and exhausting it from said chamber, and 'ineans for-heating said sand .baths.

4:. In an apparatus of the character de scrlbed, the combination of a series of evapo rating chambers, each having an outlet open ing adapted to be connected with an individual condenser and having an abutment there- 5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a series of evapo rating chambers, each having an outlet open. in adapted to be connected with an individ ua condenser and' having an abutment there in, an oil pipe leading into'each evaporating" chamber and discharging against said abutment, a pipe for withdrawing from each chamber the liquid contents thereof, means whereby the liquid contents drawn from each chamber of the series are discharged violently into against the abutment of the next chamber of theJseries, and a steam chamber for indirectly heating the oii after being so withdrawn and before being so dis charged.

6. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, the combination of a series of evapo rating chambers, each having an outlet open= ing adapted to be connectedwith an individual condenser and having an abutmentthere in, each evaporating chamber having a slop-=- ing bottom, over which the liquid oil can flow, means for indirectly heating said boting chamber and discharging against said abutment, a pipe for withdrawing from each chamber the liquid contents thereof, means whereby the liquid contents drawn from each chamber of the series are discharged violently into against the abutment of the next chamber of the series, and means for in directly heating the oil after being so with drawn and before being so discharged,

. tom, an oil pipe leading into eachevaporat- Elli 7. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a series of cvapo rating chambers, each having an outlet open= ing adapted to be connected with an individual condenser and having an abutment there in, each evaporating chamber having a sloping bottom, over which the liquid oil can flow, a sand bath immediately beneath said bottom and means for heating said sand bath, an oil pipe leading into each evaporating chamber and discharging against said ice abutment, a pipe for Withdrawing from each chamber the liquid contents thereof, means whereby the liquid contents .drawn from each chamber of the series are discharged violently into against the abutment of the next chamber of the series, and means for indirectly heating the oil after being so withdrawn and before being so discharged.

8. The process of fractionally distilling oil which consists in heating the oil by steam, to partly vaporize the oil, allowing he liquid residuum to flow over a heated surface, collecting and condensing the whole of the vapor thus generated, drawing off the liquid residuum, reheating it by steam to a higher temperature, and continually repeating the other aforesaid operations in the order named.

9. The combination of a furnace, a longitudlnal series of steam chambers therein each having a steam lnlet and a steam outlet, a

corresponding series of evaporating cham-.

bers on the top of the furnace, individual pipes leading from said evaporating chambers, acoil of pipe in each steam chamber, a

corresponding series of pumps, one end .of

each coil being connected to the corresponding pump, a corresponding series of oil pipes in each evaporating chamber, each having a small aperture closely adjacent to a Wall of said evaporating chamber, said pipe being connected ,wvith a corresponding pump, and" a drain pipe from each evaporating chamber connected with the other end of the corresponding coil.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing 

